Killer who beheaded 17-year-old boy then threw his body in bin could be released

September 23, 2024, 09:53

The mother of a 17-year-old boy who was murdered in 1997 has expressed fears his killer could be released.

Christopher Hartley was brutally beheaded and thrown into a bin in Blackpool by Stuart Diamond. His head was never found.

Hartley was sentenced to life imprisonment at Preston Crown Court in 1999 but is due to appear before a tribunal next month where he may be considered for parole.

Christopher’s mother, Jean Hartley, has admitted she has been a “nervous wreck” since learning her son’s killer could walk free.

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Jean, 73, said: “Diamond is a monster. He should never have been released. I’m speaking out to make sure he doesn’t kill again.

“How can he be ready to be released when he still hasn’t told me where my son’s head is?”

Christopher was the fourth of five children and was described as “a man full of mischief and joy”, according to the Mirror newspaper.

In 1997, Hartley left home and moved to Blackpool to take up work.

However, on December 30 of the same year, Hartley was ordered to leave his rented apartment and became homeless.

That night, Diamond reportedly “realized he was vulnerable and needed a place to stay.”

Diamond then lured the 17-year-old back to his apartment and began choking, strangling and cutting his body into three pieces in the shared bathroom.

Police discovered Hartley’s headless body at the New Central Hotel in Blackpool.

During the trial, the jury heard that police found Diamond’s fingerprints on Hartley’s body, as well as bloodstains at the murder scene.

Sentencing judge Mr Justice Douglas Brown told Diamond at the time: “It is clear that you are a very dangerous young man.

“It is with the greatest concern that we will wonder whether it will ever be safe to release you.”

Diamond is currently being held under the Mental Health Act but could be released following a court hearing next month.

Jean added: “Diamond broke up my family. He took Christopher away from us in such horrible circumstances that my daughters never recovered. In my opinion, he is also responsible for their deaths.

“The thought of him being on my street terrifies me. They should keep him there indefinitely.”

Diamond had previously appealed his conviction, seeking a commutation of the sentence to manslaughter, citing diminished responsibility.

Christopher’s mother said: “He shouldn’t have been allowed to go out,” Jean said. “He’s sick and he’s a real threat and risk to society.

“I asked the curators for a photo of him, but they told me I could only look at it, not copy it, so I wouldn’t know what he looked like.

“The possibility of passing him on the street and not recognizing him fills me with terror.

“I’m a wreck of a person who gets nervous when I think about him getting out and destroying another life and another family.”